Robert Curl

Robert Floyd Curl Jr. (August 23, 1933 – July 3, 2022) was an American chemist who was Pitzer–
Schlumberger Professor of Natural Sciences and professor of chemistry at Rice University.[1] He was
awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996 for the discovery of the nanomaterial
buckminsterfullerene, and hence the fullerene class of materials, along with Richard Smalley (also of
Rice University) and Harold Kroto of the University of Sussex.

Early life and education

Born in Alice, Texas, United States, Curl was the son of a Methodist minister.[2][3] Due to his father's
missionary work, his family moved several times within southern and southwestern Texas, and the elder
Curl was involved in starting the San Antonio Medical Center's Methodist Hospital.[4][5] Curl attributes
his interest in chemistry to a chemistry set he received as a nine-year-old, recalling that he ruined the
finish on his mother's porcelain stove when nitric acid boiled over onto it.[6] He is a graduate of Thomas
Jefferson High School in San Antonio, Texas.[7] His high school offered only one year of chemistry
instruction, but in his senior year his chemistry teacher gave him special projects to work on.[5]

Curl received a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from Rice Institute (now Rice University) in 1954.[2] He
was attracted to the reputation of both the school's academics and football team, and the fact that at the
time it charged no tuition.[5] He earned his doctorate in chemistry from the University of California,
Berkeley, in 1957.[2] At Berkeley, he worked in the laboratory of Kenneth Pitzer, then dean of the college
of chemistry, with whom he would become a lifelong collaborator. Curl's graduate research involved
performing infrared spectroscopy to determine the bond angle of disiloxane.[4][5]

Scientific career
Curl was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University with E. B. Wilson, where he used microwave
spectroscopy to study the bond rotation barriers of molecules.[5] After that, he joined the faculty of Rice
University in 1958.[4] He inherited the equipment and graduate students of George Bird, a professor who
was leaving for a job at Polaroid.[6] Curl's early research involved the microwave spectroscopy of
chlorine dioxide.[5] His research program included both experiment and theory, mainly focused on
detection and analysis of free radicals using microwave spectroscopy and tunable lasers. He used these
observations to develop the theory of their fine structure and hyperfine structure, as well as information
about their structure and the kinetics of their reactions.[8]

Nobel Prize
Curl's research at Rice involved the fields of infrared
and microwave spectroscopy.[4] Curl's research Robert Curl
inspired Richard Smalley to come to Rice in 1976 with Robert Floyd Curl Jr.
the intention of collaborating with Curl.[9] In 1985,
Curl was contacted by Harold Kroto, who wanted to
use a laser beam apparatus built by Smalley to simulate
and study the formation of carbon chains in red giant
stars. Smalley and Curl had previously used this
apparatus to study semiconductors such as silicon and
germanium.[4] They were initially reluctant to interrupt
their experiments on these semiconductor materials to
use their apparatus for Kroto's experiments on carbon,
but eventually gave in.[9]

They indeed found the long carbon chains they were

looking for, but also found an unexpected product that Curl in 2009

had 60 carbon atoms.[9] Over the course of 11 days, the Born August 23, 1933
team studied and determined its structure and named it Alice, Texas, U.S.
buckminsterfullerene after noting its similarity to the Died July 3, 2022 (aged 88)
geodesic domes for which the architect Buckminster Houston, Texas, U.S.
Fuller was known. [10] This discovery was based solely Alma mater Rice Institute, BA; University of
on the single prominent peak on the mass California, Berkeley, PhD
spectrograph, implying a chemically inert substance
Known for The discovery of fullerenes
that was geometrically closed with no dangling
bonds.[11] Curl was responsible for determining the Awards Nobel Prize in Chemistry in
optimal conditions of the carbon vapor in the 1996. Cross-cultural
ambassador at Sorbonne
apparatus, and examining the spectrograph.[4] Curl
noted that James R. Heath and Sean C. O'Brien University UNESCO Club
deserve equal recognition in the work to Smalley and Scientific career
Kroto.[5] The existence of this type of molecule had Fields Chemistry
earlier been theorized by others, but Curl and his
Institutions Rice University, Harvard
colleagues were at the time unaware of this. Later University
experiments confirmed their proposed structure, and
Thesis Some spectroscopic and
the team moved on to synthesize endohedral fullerenes
thermodynamic properties of
that had a metal atom inside the hollow carbon
molecules (http://www.worldcat.
shell.[11][12][13][14][15] The fullerenes, a class of
org/oclc/632442049) (1957)
molecules of which buckminsterfullerene was the first
member discovered, are now considered to have Doctoral Kenneth Pitzer
potential applications in nanomaterials and molecular advisor
scale electronics.[9] Robert Curl's 1985 paper entitled Doctoral Lihong V. Wang
"C60: Buckminsterfullerine", published with students James L. Kinsey
colleagues H. Kroto, J. R. Heath, S. C. O’Brien, and R.
E. Smalley, was honored by a Citation for Chemical Breakthrough Award from the Division of History of
Chemistry of the American Chemical Society, presented to Rice University in 2015.[16][17] The discovery
of fullerenes was recognized in 2010 by the designation of a National Historic Chemical Landmark by the
American Chemical Society at the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology at
Rice University in Houston, Texas.[18]
After winning the Nobel Prize in 1996, Curl took a quieter path than Smalley, who became an outspoken
advocate of nanotechnology, and Kroto, who used his fame to further his interest in science education,
saying, "After winning a Nobel, you can either become a scientific pontificator, or you can have some
idea for a new science project and you can use your newfound notoriety to get the resources to do it. Or
you can say, 'Well, I enjoy what I was doing, and I want to keep doing that.'"[6] True to that humility,
when asked by the President of Rice what he would like, following the Nobel announcement, he asked
that a bike rack be installed closer to his office and laboratory.[19]

Later research
Curl's later research interests involved physical chemistry, developing DNA genotyping and sequencing
instrumentation, and creating photoacoustic sensors for trace gases using quantum cascade lasers.[20] He
is known in the residential college life at Rice University for being the first master of Lovett College.[21]

Curl retired in 2008 at the age of 74,[6] becoming a University Professor Emeritus, Pitzer-Schlumberger
Professor of Natural Sciences Emeritus, and Professor of Chemistry Emeritus at Rice University.[1][8]

Personal life
Curl married Jonel Whipple in 1955, with whom he had two children. He cycled to his office and lab and
every week played bridge with the Rice Bridge Brigade. Curl died in Houston on July 3, 2022, at the age
of 88.[22][23][24][25][19]

Awards and honors

Clayton Prize, Institute of Mechanical Engineers, 1957[26][27]
Alexander von Humboldt Senior US Scientist Award, University of Bonn, Germany,
1984[26][27]
Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, 1997[28]
Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, 1997[29]
Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1998[30][31]
International Prize for New Materials, American Physical Society, 1992[26]
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, 1996[12]
Johannes Marcus Marci Award in Spectroscopy, 1998[30]
Centenary Medal, Royal Society of Chemistry, 1999[26]
Honorary Fellow, The Royal Society of New Zealand, 2001[26][30]
University of Bochum Research Prize, 2004[26]
National Historic Chemical Landmark, American Chemical Society, 2010[18]
Citation for Chemical Breakthrough Award, Division of History of Chemistry, American
Chemical Society, 2015[16][17]
Fellow of the Optical Society of America[26][30]

Selected publications
Journal articles:

Curl, Robert (1997). "Dawn of the fullerenes: experiment and conjecture". Reviews of
Modern Physics. 69 (3): 691–702. Bibcode:1997RvMP...69..691C (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.
edu/abs/1997RvMP...69..691C). doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.69.691 (https://doi.org/10.1103%
2FRevModPhys.69.691).
Technical reports:

Curl, R. F. and G. P. Glass. "Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy and Chemical Kinetics of

Free Radicals. Final Performance Report, August 1, 1985 – July 31, 1994 (https://www.osti.
gov/biblio/82413-infrared-absorption-spectroscopy-chemical-kinetics-free-radicals-final-perfo
rmance-report-august-july)," National Accelerator Laboratory, Rice University, United States
Department of Energy, (June 1995).
Curl, R. F. and G. P. Glass. "Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy and Chemical Kinetics of
Free Radicals, Final Technical Report (https://www.osti.gov/biblio/838138-infrared-absorptio
n-spectroscopy-chemical-kinetics-free-radicals)," Rice University, United States Department
of Energy, (November 2004).

References
 1. "Robert F. Curl" (https://chemistry.rice.edu/FacultyDetail.aspx?RiceID=589). Department of
Chemistry, Rice University. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
2. Robert F. Curl, Jr (http://www.nndb.com/people/798/000100498/)
3. Carey, Charles W. Jr. (2006). American scientists (https://books.google.com/books?id=00r9
waSNv1cC&pg=PA79). New York, NY: Facts on File. pp. 79–80. ISBN 9780816054992.
Retrieved July 19, 2016.
4. Proffitt, Pamela (2001). "Robert Floyd Curl Jr." (https://archive.org/details/notablescientist00
05unse/page/503). In Narins, Brigham (ed.). Notable Scientists from 1900 to the Present.
Farmington Hills, MI: The Gale Group. pp. 503–4 (https://archive.org/details/notablescientist
0005unse/page/503). ISBN 978-0787617523.
5. "Robert F. Curl Jr. – Biographical" (https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laurea
tes/1996/curl-bio.html). Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB. 1996. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
6. Berger, Eric (June 29, 2008). "Legendary Rice professor Robert Curl retiring" (http://www.chr
on.com/news/houston-texas/article/Legendary-Rice-professor-Robert-Curl-retiring-1665527.
php). Chron. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
7. "TJHS Alumni: Dr. Robert Floyd Curl Jr. '50" (http://www.tjhsalumni.org/mustangspotlight/13
65546). Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Association. August 5, 2013. Retrieved
July 12, 2014.
8. "Robert F. Curl: University Professor Emeritus, Pitzer-Schlumberger Professor of Natural
Sciences Emeritus, Professor of Chemistry Emeritus" (http://chemistry.rice.edu/FacultyDetai
l.aspx?RiceID=589). Rice University Department of Chemistry. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
9. "Richard E. Smalley, Robert F. Curl, Jr., and Harold W. Kroto" (https://www.sciencehistory.or
g/historical-profile/richard-smalley-robert-curl-harold-kroto). Science History Institute. June
2016. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
10. Shampo, Marc A.; Kyle, Robert A.; David P., David P. (August 2010). "Robert F. Curl Jr—
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2912751).
Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 85 (8): e58. doi:10.4065/mcp.2010.0448 (https://doi.org/10.4065%
2Fmcp.2010.0448). PMC 2912751 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC291275
1). PMID 20704028 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20704028).
11. Curl, Robert F. (July 1997). "Dawn of the fullerenes: experiment and conjecture". Reviews of
Modern Physics. 69 (3): 691–702. Bibcode:1997RvMP...69..691C (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.
edu/abs/1997RvMP...69..691C). doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.69.691 (https://doi.org/10.1103%
2FRevModPhys.69.691).
12. "Robert F. Curl Jr. – Biographical" (https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laurea
tes/1996/curl-bio.html). Nobelprize.org. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
13. Kroto, H. W.; Heath, J. R.; O'Brien, S. C.; Curl, R. F.; Smalley, R. E. (November 14, 1985).
"C60: Buckminsterfullerene". Nature. 318 (6042): 162–163. Bibcode:1985Natur.318..162K
(https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1985Natur.318..162K). doi:10.1038/318162a0 (https://do
i.org/10.1038%2F318162a0). S2CID 4314237 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:43
14237).
14. Heath, J. R.; O'Brien, S. C.; Zhang, Q.; Liu, Y.; Curl, R. F.; Tittel, F. K.; Smalley, R. E.
(December 1985). "Lanthanum complexes of spheroidal carbon shells". Journal of the
American Chemical Society. 107 (25): 7779–7780. doi:10.1021/ja00311a102 (https://doi.or
g/10.1021%2Fja00311a102).
15. Zhang, Q. L.; O'Brien, S. C.; Heath, J. R.; Liu, Y.; Curl, R. F.; Kroto, H. W.; Smalley, R. E.
(February 1986). "Reactivity of large carbon clusters: spheroidal carbon shells and their
possible relevance to the formation and morphology of soot". The Journal of Physical
Chemistry. 90 (4): 525–528. doi:10.1021/j100276a001 (https://doi.org/10.1021%2Fj100276a
001).
16. "2015 Awardees" (http://www.scs.illinois.edu/~mainzv/HIST/awards/CCB-2015_Awardees.p
hp). American Chemical Society, Division of the History of Chemistry. University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign School of Chemical Sciences. 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
17. "Citation for Chemical Breakthrough Award" (http://www.scs.illinois.edu/~mainzv/HIST/awar
ds/Citations/2015-Kroto%20plaque.pdf) (PDF). American Chemical Society, Division of the
History of Chemistry. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Chemical
Sciences. 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
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t/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/fullerenes.html). American Chemical Society.
Retrieved July 18, 2016.
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17 Aug 2022
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Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
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for Public Policy. June 28, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
22. Jade Boyd (July 4, 2022). "Nobel laureate, beloved Rice professor Robert Curl dead at 88"
(https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/nobel-laureate-beloved-rice-professor-robert-curl-dead-8
8). Rice University. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
23. Durrani, Jamie (July 5, 2022). "Chemistry Nobel laureate Robert Curl dies at 88" (https://ww
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24. Murphy, Brian (July 6, 2022). "Robert Curl, Nobel-winning chemist in 'buckyball' discovery,
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27. Hargittai, István; Hargittai, Magdolna (2000). Candid science (https://books.google.com/boo
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academy-of-sciences/). Rice University News and Media. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
29. "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement" (https://achievement.or
g/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#science-exploration). www.achievement.org. American
Academy of Achievement.
30. "Prof. Dr. Robert Floyd Curl" (http://www.mediatheque.lindau-nobel.org/laureates/curl-jr).
Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
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2016.

External links
Robert Curl (https://www.nobelprize.org/laureate/284) on Nobelprize.org
Finding aid to the Guide to the Robert F. Curl Academic papers, 1981–2008, bulk 1985–
1993 MS 483 (http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/ricewrc/00036/rice-00036.html), Rice
University
 Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology (http://nano.rice.edu)
Career retrospective interviews Discovery, history, and lucky accidents in chemistry (https://
academicinfluence.com/interviews/chemistry/robert-curl) and What is it like to be a scientist?
(https://academicinfluence.com/interviews/chemistry/robert-curl-karina),
AcademicInfluence.com, November/December 2020

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